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A. I am director of the technical service of the ALSTHOM
Société at Belfort.
Q. Since when have you been with that
firm?
A. I joined the firm in 1921.
Q. And you are still there?
A. Yes, I am still there.
Q. Were you in Belfort at the time
when the machine was taken away from there?
A. I was present, and I
even witnessed this incident.
Q. Did you object to the taking away of
that machine?
JUDGE WILKINS, Presiding: (to interpreter) Can you
remember all that?¹
INTERPRETER: Yes, Sir.
WITNESS KOCH:
Yes, we objected the same day and the main grounds were that this machine was
the only one on which our whole manufacture in the boiler construction field
was based, also for the manufacture of high-pressure tubes this machine was
essential, and we also objected on the grounds that this machine was not at all
used for military purposes.
MR. MANDELLAUB: Did you intend at any time
to sell this machine?
WITNESS KOCH: No, we never had the intention of
selling the machine. We even protested against the loss of this machine because
the machine was part of our assets. We sold part of our production, but we
would never have agreed to sell any part of our assets.
Q. Was it clear
to you at the time that this was the firm of Krupp which was interested in this
machine?
A. Yes.
Q. Please, would you pause at certain
intervals in order to give the interpreter an opportunity to translate.
JUDGE WILKINS, Presiding: That would be better, yes.
WITNESS
KOCH: Yes, we immediately realized that it was for Krupp, because an engineer
of the Krupp Works, by the name of Eisfeld,² together with a German
officer of the Armament Inspectorate of the Naval High Command, came to inspect
the machine; and then a day later, German mechanics of the Krupp Works came and
dismantled the machine and sent it to the Krupp factory in Rheinhausen. We
heard only later that the machine was used for war production.
MR.
MANDELLAUB: Formerly this machine was never used for war production?
A.
No, never. |
__________
¹ Judge Wilkins refers
to the witness’ answer which begins, “Yes. we objected the same day
***.” The answer was first given in French and following Judge
Wilkins’ interruption was interpreted in English.
² Eisfeld was
the plant manager of the Krupp-Stahlbau Plant in Rheinhausen, Germany.
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